Hi all! so i've started running barefoot now for about 2 weeks. i can't seem to get the hang of it or when i start to i have annoying nagging pain in the ball of my foot.  i love running barefoot though! some of my best times have come from running shoeless. but this foot pain, especially in the ball of my foot and through my toes when i run shoeless has really dampened my mileage. is this normal? am i running to many miles too soon? i bought a pair of VFF's soon after i started running barefoot because i developed blisters on the balls of my feet.  the only time i had pain in my foot was from running with the VFF's.  since then i gave those up and am currently ordering some Hurache's from Barefoot Ted. Has anyone tried them?, if so, how do they measure up against the VFF's?? I'm frustrated, i love running and don't want my career to END!!! ahhhh. please help!

 

Blisters mean you haven't learned a good form yet.  You're probably twisting or pushing off too much.  You must learn to run without any unnecessary sliding or shear forces.  FiveFingers will just allow you to keep running with this bad form, rather than learning how to run better.  Let the blisters heal and then try again.

Your mileage is supposed to be dampened when you're first learning to run barefoot.  Two weeks is nothing, be patient.  When it hurts, stop.  Your goal should be to get out and run barefoot as much as you can, but without any pain or injuries.  Most people have to drastically decrease their mileage to do this safely. 

You're starting from the very beginning.  You may have been a runner for years, but your feet have only been training for two weeks. 

Well, I bought the Newtons a few weeks ago.  My first few short runs in them were ... uncomfortable.  I felt a strain in my Achilles tendons that I'd not had since my second barefoot run.  Following the manufacturer's instructions, I backed off and eased in to them with short runs.

Now, I'm alternating between barefoot and Newton runs.  At first, I was alternating depending on which was hurting more: my Achilles tendons or what felt like the bones and joints in my feet.  Now, the shoes have become more comfortable.  While I still feel some discomfort within my feet, having the "shoe days" in between my "barefoot days" seems to be bringing my foot pain under control. 

Perhaps Ed was right: I needed "rest" days.  My "shoe days" are "rest" from barefooting it, and my barefoot days are "rest" days from the Newtons, lol!  Whatever the explanation, I am satisfied with my new regimen.  I will run either way now, depending on the surface and the temperature.  Hot NC roads barefoot is not good for my tootsies!  But they like a smooth paved path earlier in the day just fine.  Keeping on with the barefoot reminds me not to land hard, to scuff my feet, or to forget to watch where I'm going.  Keeping on with the Newtons seems to mean that the muscles and joints within my feet have a chance to rest.

So far?  It's the best of both worlds.  We'll see what a few more months will bring!